Tech. No? John's Phone. This year's surprising tech release.

It is billed as the 'World's Simplest Phone', a phone that makes calls and nothing more, no SMS, no camera, no giant display, no opportunity to check your email or FaceBook. John's Phone has to be one of the most curious products released this year.

Two years ago, I bought my first new phone. Until then, I had got by with the wares of a local second hand phone retailer, slipping my pre-paid SIM into a new used home every year or so.

For business reasons, I decided to switch to a monthly plan which entitled me to a swanky new device. With a steely resolve, I vowed not to fall for the techno-worship of my peers, to avoid the cult of the accessory, not to app up just for the sake of it. Too bad. Even the cheapest phone was disappointingly hi-tech.

So, I was quite curious when I heard John's Phone mentioned on the radio recently. At fist it seemed like a joke – I mean the address book is a pen and pad – or some arty novelty.

In fact, the producers of John's Phone seem quite sincere. They even produced a blog following the birth of the phone. The brains behind the invention are Diederiekje Bok and Hein Mevissen, who work for John Doe Amsterdam. Gadgets aren't this pairs usual work if this is a one minute summary is anything to go by.

That's right it's a design company, and if you spend some time looking at their site you'll see they do a good line in quirk. Their Bacardia ads or promo for MTV Ireland are good examples. They were also behind the 'From the Supermarket' line of products. The tag-line was 'Buy it, and it's yours.' So, why would we buy a phone from them?

Firstly, there is the phone, which is no frills and from the short film below, it does look as easy to use as they promise. The new customer appears to work it all out without once looking at the manual.

Secondly, there is the design, which is coolly minimal. A single color, from a choice of six including the new gold, for the whole unit, fourteen buttons on the front and a slim display on the top. It definitely isn't a business phone. 

Okay, the gold kinda looks businessy.

But the rest, to use an analogy, are like the smart casual attire of telecommunication.

Lastly, John's Phone fits into the philosophy of 'From the Supermarket'. The product is what the makers say it is. As the Bok and Mevissen wrote in our email interview, “True simplicity has to be more than skin deep, more than a façade. The mission statement is just a simple and functional phone which does what it promises: calling wherever you are. “

At first, this retro-engineering seemed like something from the Battlestar Galactica Reboot. Simplifying technology in order to protect us from technology – in the show's case the Cylons, in reality, technology's encroachment into all aspects of our lives. I asked Bok and Mevissen whether they saw some kind of danger in technology.

“No danger but technology tends to make the users lazy. You see that a lot of people nowadays fiddle with their phones even when there is nothing that needs to be done.”

“With our John’s Phone we put the people above technology. It is all about the people and not first about technology.”

 I can empathize with this. As I wrote at the beginning, I bemoaned the fact that all the phones had options I didn't need. However, one feature of the mobile phone I do use, and which I think most people use is instant messaging. Isn't removing this an obstacle to the phone's reach?

“It is a phone. Text messaging is a great feature on gsm's but we wanted to make the Phone as simple as possible. With text you need immediately 5 extra buttons and an address book etc. Also we wanted to use a less energy as we could.”

While the phone seems marketed for its stylishness and simplicity, the question of energy consumption may be its best features. Removing those added features has meant a battery life of up to three months.

“We wanted the battery life as long as possible to fits is promise of most simple phone. In order to have a great energy capacity it was necessary to make the display as small as possible. But on the other hand the display should be clear and useful. All the graphics should be readable. Besides a strong battery, the phone is SIM lock free and it is Quad band that means you can call with any card, pre-paid post-paid anywhere.”

My above-mentioned lament is one I've heard from other phone users. We all want the convenience of the phone. We just don't want to be inundated with all the other stuff. Even if we're getting something for nothing there's a sense, in some way, that we're being duped, cheated, into consuming what we don't want.

“As we see worldwide is that people are wildly enthusiastic about the John's Phone. People love it and it's very successful in sales since we launched it.”

“The interesting thing is that most of our customers are smart phone users wanting the John's Phone as their second phone or as a statement.”

Does this mean it's just another gimmick?

“It is funny that a Phone that only does what it promises ( allows the user to make and receive calls, and has no extras such as a camera, Internet access or games)  is criticized for  marketing gimmick.

While the all the multi function smart Phones is one big gimmick product. You are dazed by frills, games, web, camera and all other entertainment is  full of gimmicks.” 

So the next big step in phone tech could well be a simple one.